Speech Signals a President Set to Fight Over New To-Do List

By

Gerald F. Seib

Updated Jan. 23, 2013 12:09 p.m. ET

The Barack Obama who was inaugurated as the nation's 44th president four years ago talked about soaring above the nation's existing political order: "The stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply," he said in his first inaugural address.

The Barack Obama inaugurated Monday was not only grayer, he also sounded less like a man preparing for lofty flights, and a lot more like a man preparing for ground battles. His rhetoric was less about soaring above Washington's political system...